Firearms such as rifles are used for a variety of purposes, including for sport, military and other protective services. Oftentimes, rifles are used to shoot a target at long distances (e.g., 100 yards or more) and even very long ranges (e.g., in excess of 500 yards). In order to accommodate the sighting of a target at such ranges, riflescopes are often employed. A riflescope includes optics that magnify the view of the target and also help to aim the rifle for purposes of accuracy and precision. For example, a riflescope may include a reticle or other aiming point positioned in the field of view that is provided by the optics of the riflescope, the aiming point being aligned with a target by a user prior to firing the rifle.
Some riflescopes may have a fixed focal length (meaning that the amount of optical magnification is fixed) while other riflescopes may employ a mechanism or system that enables the focal length to vary. The type of scope employed may depend, for example, on the anticipated use of the rifle. For example, if it is known that a user will be shooting at a target that is going to consistently be within a certain range, a user may select a fixed focal length scope. On the other hand, a variable focal length riflescope may provide flexibility to a user that expects to shoot their rifle under varying circumstances and where the target distance may vary significantly.
Conventional riflescopes having variable focal lengths—or variable optical magnification—may include rotatable magnification rings associated with the eyepiece of the riflescope enabling a user to select a desired magnification level of the riflescope by rotating the ring about an optical axis of the riflescope. In certain circumstances, these magnification rings may not be as easily adjustable as a user might desire depending on a variety of factors including body position and shooting conditions.